I decided to not write about politics this time. Simply put, I want to veer away from the divisiveness, betrayal, and all negativity resulting from political events we are subjected to, even for just a little while.
And what is a better way to be positive than to talk about love?
Yes, old-fashioned LOVE. I write this because I want to smile amidst all the troubles in this world.
Two friends just got married. I witnessed a simple, beautiful, meaningful, intimate, and fun wedding of two people who have loved each other for nearly two decades. They are not young as we belong to the same “make love, not war” generation. They both have had earlier marriages and the kids are now all grown-up.
Their wedding was a riot. I guess it is because when one reaches our age, one can be forgiven for acting like rascals and breaking norms, even at weddings. The ceremony was a lot of fun as both the bride and groom chose to bring out a bit of their naughty side. The mayor, who officiated the event, was grinning ear to ear all throughout. Perhaps he was not used to seeing not-so-young people acting belligerently during a wedding. After all, my friends chose to get hitched in a small quiet town where people still adhere to the old ways of doing things.
When the bride was asked if she was taking the groom as her lawfully wedded husband, she looked at her friends, and in a chorus they said, “We do!” The groom responded with, “I married a barangay!” Laughter reverberated all over as the groom got ribbed by the “barangay.”
This beautiful couple chose to spend the rest of their lives as spouses no matter if, as the bride said, they also decided to not live together but stay as they were before they got married. Perhaps to many this may sound unusual but for this couple, their arrangement was perfectly working for them both and it did not surprise us that they want to keep it that way. I have known the bride and groom for years. Both are their own persons, both have strong personalities. Thus, their decision makes perfect sense.
The beautiful love they share has weathered storms. I know in my heart, that they will work hard so their marriage works. I only have the best wishes and hopes for these dear friends of mine.
I know another couple, one is in his 60s, and his partner is now more than 70 years old. One is Filipino, and the other, Brit. They met in the United Kingdom and have been together for several decades. They were married in the UK but decided to permanently live here. I can only imagine how big a decision it was for my Brit friend to leave his country and family and stay here with the love of his life. It is not an easy decision especially since both are no longer young.
I have been witness to how these friends take care of each other with love. You will not be able to convince one to do anything that he knows his partner would not want to do. Theirs is a different generation and we respect the way they give in to one another to keep the relationship strong.
Once during one of our chats, my friend talked about how they would discuss things that will inevitably happen. Their conversation was on what they would want done in case one passes away. My friend was in tears as he told me what his partner’s wishes were. Surely, these things are not easy to talk about. When you love someone, you would not want to lose him or her. Certainly, death is a tough topic. But as my friend said, hard as it is, we need to face death, it is inevitable.
The good thing is, both of them are still around, and both obviously remain very much in love with each other. Theirs is a beautiful love story and I wish for them to have many more loving years together.
My last story (for now) is about a childhood friend. She called me some months back seeking advice for her predicament. She was in love with someone 15 years younger than herself. The guy was courting her but she was very worried that he was not serious because of their age difference. She was also worried about what people will say if she would go out with him. The man was single with a successful career, just like my friend.
Bottom line, I told her that what should matter most was not age but the feelings they had for each other. I tried to convince her to give it a try if she really felt strongly for the guy. After all, dating is not marriage. There was silence for many weeks before I got another call from her. She was giggly happy because they have been exclusively dating and so far, she has been immensely enjoying it.
Whatever happens from here onwards, I told my friend, she was made happy because of love.
There are many conventions about love and relationship. Many times, people are limited because of these. Sometimes, happiness is sacrificed because we want to follow what society tells us as acceptable. These love stories prove that love knows no age, gender, or any other distinction.
Love is love. It comes in many forms, at whatever age. Even in these crazy and difficult times we live in.
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